The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-08-04
push 90 characteristic of the contract svs.

GSS6QJlc
plant except on large appropriation:
Engineers naturally prefer the contrac
system as it relieves them of much of thei
labor; they would then only have to su
peryise. OF course there are some matter
connected with the contract system no
desirable. Contractors work for tn
money there is in it. Every loop hol
discovered either by the shrewd contrac
| tor or his legal adviser is made ayailabl
/ to the disadvantage of the government
and often by litigation long drawn on
they perform the profitable and shirl
the improbable part, as your committe,
found on investigating some of the ole
| contracts made a number of years ago
Again, eastern bidders generally gel
away with the job, and the money goe.
elsewhere instead of being distributed
among our people, as it is under the hired
labor system. While partisan favorite.
ism in the matter of contracts would
doubtless have less sway in the Q. S. en-.
gineer department, which, as all know
is more on an bipartisan basis than any
other branch of our government, yet il
may creep in, to the detriment of the
public service, and has to be guarded
against.
Again, there is always great difficulty
tails of the work, SO ss to be able to pro-
vide with wisdom beforehand in the con-
tract. As illustrated at the Cascade
locks the plans are largely affected in
details by the result of river improve
ment. The details of the present plan
are not vet settled for the future, and the
engineers in charge claim that In many
respects they cannot well be definitely ar
ranged very far ahead. When asked why
more work is not done by contract they
answer that the engineer in charge can
hire men and purchase material as cheap
Iy as any contractor and save the % per
cent. that all contractors aim to make;
that they-the engineers-are paid on
the army roll and might as well do the
work as not; and that the government
has in many instances its own plant,
which the contractor would have to be
at the cost of furnishing, and that gov
ernment plant can be exchanged and
used at the expense of the fund of the
place benefited on any of the govern
ment works anywhere in the district and
thus res-lt in q saving to the govern
ment. Generally speaking, it is of
course out of the question to think of
contracting for the completion of the
locks until congress can be induced to
to finish the work.
We understand that practically all
materials are purchased under contract
and under competition.
Your committee recommend an earnest
memorial to congress for greater appro-
priations. We need to help mould sem
timent in this country in favor of liberal
improvements for rivers and harbors gen
orally. The general appropriation bills
have never been adequate for the i'm
provement and development of this great
nation. So far as concerns our pro rata
of what has been appropriated generally
we have no reason for complaint. Since
the foundation of our government con-
gress has only appropriated for develop
ment of all the rivers and harbors of
this vast country the sum of $l40, 900, 900.
OF this Oregon, since 1861, has received
1896, ,7J0-about one-forty-seventh, or
one dollar in every forty-seven dollars
that this nation has ever appropriated.
The Cascade locks, having received
$1,142,569, have received one dollar in
every l25 appropriated all told from the
lst to the 49th congress. Our young state
with only one representative in 325 has
no just reason to complain of discrimi-
nation. The trouble is that the aggre
gate sum is too small.
We have an able and energetic repre-
sentation in congress, anxious of course
to secure every dollar possible. Oregon
sends a solid delegation in support of
the policy of river and harbor improve
ment. The same, We regret, cannot be
said of many of the other states. The
engineer department this last year asked
for upwards of forty millions of dollars.
How much of this did they get? Con-
gress passed a bill for only about ten
millions, in which the northwest was
fairly treated, but the president of the
United States put the bill in his pocket
and for aught your committee knows il
as there yet. Twice at other sessions of
congress lately the river and harbor
bill, containing large appropriations for
Oregon, has been beaten by filibustering
opposition, and the largest bill ever
passed by congress was vetoed by presi-
dent Arthur only five years ago and be-
came law by only two votes. The COM
ing session Of congress being long one,
the prospect for river and harbor bill is
reasonably good, but in view of the re-
cent past the general outlook for rapid,
progressive public improvement is GER
tainly far from good.
There is powerful opposition to river
snu udIoof appropriations Dy the general
government coming from various
sources, interested and otherwise, and
until that is overcome il We want the
locks completed We shall have TO COM
plete them ourselves.
France, with her small territory, in a
single budget intended for several years
in advance, has given more money than
was ever appropriated by our govern
ment. The beneficial results of such a
system Of internal development were
seen in the remarkable payment of the
German tribute levied. No other nation
ever could have sprung to its feet So
suddenly and SO easily. Such is the pub
lie policy for US. Let us use the surplus
revenue-the public money for the pub
lie relief-and let our people in conven-
ton assembled voice our sentiment on
this important question. Let our i'm.
proyement be commensurate with our
rapid advancement.
Respectfully submitted,
/. III. G. GEORGE,
Z. b. MCFARLAND,